The shipment of salt is understood to be the largest since the big freeze arrived.

Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) began discharging the salt to local authorities yesterday after the 'Diezebog' docked at the Limerick quayside.

Around 3,000 tonnes are expected to be delivered across the country by this evening, with the remainder going into storage. And the good news with further inclement weather forecast for tomorrow is that 6,000 tonnes are due next week.

SFPC chief executive Pat Keating said the shipments, ordered by Lagan Projects Limited for the National Roads Authority (NRA), could not have come at a better time.

"We still have a lot of winter ahead of us, so Lagan Projects Limited and the NRA have been very active in making sure they could rebuild salt stocks," he said.